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*Call to Worship | Psalm 89:3-4; 34-35 | Rev. Blake Arnoult
God invites and calls us into his presence to worship him.
3 You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever,
and build your throne for all generations.’”
34 “I will not violate my covenant
or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness;
I will not lie to David.”
*Song of Adoration | All Creatures of Our God and King
We begin by responding with praise to God for who he is and for what he does.
All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rushing morn in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening find a voice,
Chorus
Thou flowing water pure and clear
Make music for Thy Lord to hear
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright
That givest man both warmth and light,
Chorus
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness.
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son
And praise the Spirit, Three in One
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: St. Francis of Assisi, William H. Draper
*Confession of Faith | Psalm 110:0-2, 4; Luke 1:69-73
With the church in history we confess a basic statement of what Christians believe.
0 A Psalm of David.
1 The LORD says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The LORD sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
4 The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”
69 God has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
*Song of Confession | Have Mercy
Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs are simply prayers that are sung. We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
Have mercy on me O God
Remember not my sin
Have mercy O Lord of love
Cleanse me from within
By Your mercy clean my heart
And I’ll proclaim how great Thou art
Deliver me from guilt and shame
And I’ll sing out, “Praise His name”
Wash me and I shall be
Whiter than snow
Mold me and make me whole
All to You I owe
Chorus
/ Let these broken bones rejoice
Give me gladness give me joy
Hide your face from all my sin
Renew this spirit once again /
/ Chorus /
Music and Lyrics: Rivan Bennevendo
Confession of Sin | Isaiah 53:3-6
We fight the temptation to hide our sin and instead acknowledge it openly to God, but we do so in light of the grace offered in Jesus.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Assurance of Pardon | Isaiah 53:11 | Rev. Blake Arnoult
The good news of the gospel is that we are forgiven in Jesus Christ. This assurance is based on God’s words of promise and it is therefore certain.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
*Song of Response | Your Will be Done
We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
Your will be done my God and Father
As in heaven so on earth
My heart is drawn to self-exalting
Help me seek Your kingdom first
As Jesus walked so shall I walk
Held by Your same unchanging love
Be still my soul O lift your voice and pray
Father not my will but Yours be done
How in that garden he persisted
I may never fully know
The fearful weight of true obedience
It was held by him alone
What wondrous faith to bear that cross
To bear my sin what wondrous love
My hope was sure when there my Saviour prayed
Father not my will but Yours be done
When I am lost when I am broken
In the night of fear and doubt
Still I will trust in my good Father
Yes to one great King I bow
As Jesus rose so I shall rise
In ransomed glory at the throne
My heart restored with all Your saints I sing
Father not my will but Yours be done
As we go forth our God and Father
Lead us daily in the fight
That all the world might see Your glory
And Your Name be lifted high
And in this Name we overcome
For You shall see us safely home
Now as Your church we lift our voice and pray
Father not my will but Yours be done
And in this Name we overcome
For You shall see us safely home
Now as Your church we lift our voice and pray
// Father not my will but Yours be done //
Music and Lyrics: Jonny Robinson and Rich Thompson
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We offer our gratitude to God in prayer in response to his gifts and blessings to his people and ask that he make us faithful managers of these gifts.
Song of Thanks | Great is Thy Faithfulness
As we offer our prayers so we also offer up our thanks in song.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be
Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Chorus
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: William M. Runyan
Prayer for Christ’s Church
We lift up our requests to God knowing that he hears us when we pray.
*Reading of Scripture | 2 Samuel 6:12-14, 17-18; 7:1-17 | Rev. Blake Arnoult
God reveals himself and his work and speaks to us his people through his Word.
6:12 David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. 13 And when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. 14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod…
17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. 18 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts…
7:1 Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”
4 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
Pastor: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
The Preaching of the Word | Rev. Blake Arnoult
“The Priest King”
1 and 2 Samuel: Give Us a King
Pastoral Prayer
Sacrament of Communion
Sacraments are visible signs of the invisible grace of God - what Christ does by his Holy Spirit within us. Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist), as the distribution of the elements of bread and wine, symbolizes a meal. Communion is a sign of fellowship. That sign signifies more than just the future heavenly fellowship that is to come. The outward sign signifies the inner reality that sinners already experience fellowship with God in the Spirit because of Jesus. Communion is not a meal for good people. It functions as a renewing seal to desperate sinners of that fellowship we have with our holy and gracious God.
You will be invited to come forward. If you are not a Christian we encourage you to spend this time in reflection on what you’ve seen and heard in the worship. Children who have not received their first communion are welcome and encouraged to come forward with their families to witness their partaking. We invite children who are ready to make a public profession of faith in Christ to arrange a meeting with the elders, and thus become “communicants” at the Lord’s Table.
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts!
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Words of Institution
Pastor: Let us proclaim the mystery of the faith:
People: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Hallelujah!
Pastor: Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed for us. Hallelujah!
People: Therefore, let us keep the feast.
Pastor: The gifts of God for the people of God.
Please let an usher know if it is difficult for you to come forward. We would be happy to serve you at your seat. All communion bread is gluten-free. All communion wine is made from grape juice.
A communion prayer for those searching for the truth:
Lord Jesus, you claim to be the way, the truth and the life. If what you claim is true, please guide me, teach me, and open to me the reality of who you are. Give me the ability to follow you no matter what it might cost me. Give me an understanding for you that is coherent, convincing, and leads to the life that you promise. Amen.
Communion Song | Yet Not I but Christ In Me
We celebrate our communion in faith and song.
What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer,
There is no more for heaven now to give
He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom
My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
For my life is wholly bound to his
Oh how strange and divine,
I can sing: all is mine!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
The night is dark, but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Saviour He will stay
I labor on in weakness and rejoicing
For in my need, His power is displayed
To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me
Through the deepest valley He will lead
Oh the night has been won,
And I shall overcome!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven
The future sure, the price it has been paid
For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon
And He was raised to overthrow the grave
To this I hold, my sin has been defeated
Jesus now and ever is my plea
Oh the chains are released,
I can sing: I am free!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
With every breath, I long to follow Jesus
For He has said that He will bring me home
And day by day I know He will renew me
Until I stand with joy before the throne
/ To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete,
Still my lips shall repeat:
Yet not I, but through Christ in me! /
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat:
// Yet not I, but through Christ in me! //
Music and Lyrics: D. Herbert, Brian T. Murphy, and Clint Wells
Departing Song | Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go
We begin to end in faith and song.
O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.
O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.
Music and Lyrics: Robbie Seay, Taylor Johnson, Albert Lister Peace, and George Matheson
*Benediction | Hebrews 13:20-21 | Rev. Blake Arnoult
God sends us out with his blessing. A benediction is not a prayer. We don’t bow our heads. We lift them up and even lift up our hands to receive his blessing as we are sent out as participants in his mission to the city of man.
20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Youth Gathering - Today!
Sunday, April 14, 11:30am
Our 5th-12th graders will be gathering together again directly after the worship service on April 14 at Cidercade for games and pizza!
Kid’s Sunday School
Sundays, 9am, April 14-28
Children up to 4th grade are invited to join us for Sunday school at 9am each Sunday to learn classic Bible stories and what they tell us about our Unique God!
Youth Sunday Bible Study
Sundays, 9am, April 14-28
Youth 5th - 12th grade are invited to join us for Bible studyl at 9am each Sunday to learn what classic Bible stories have to tell us about our Unique God!
Bible Studies
Women’s Weekly Study: Wednesday, April 17
Our weekly women’s study of the Book of Hebrews takes place at 10am on Wednesdays at the home of Marion Wade.
Women’s Evening Study: Thursday, May 2
Monthly on the first Thursday of each month at 7pm at the home of Susan and Jeff Arnoult.
Men’s Morning Study: Friday, May 3
Monthly on the first Friday of each month, 7am at Bean and Bottle. 9655 Katy Freeway Suite 100.
Wine Tasting Event
Friday, May 3, 7pm
Adults 21+ are invited to join us on Friday, May 3 at the home of Jeff and Susan Arnoult for our annual wine tasting event, led by Sommelier, Ethan McEwin! Light snacks will be provided.